FIN

Network Features

Canada Reacts Positively to Softwood Lumber Agreement Extension

The Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA) that settled a long-running dispute between Canada and the U.S. is being extended by two years. Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk made the announcement at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 23, 2012. The agreement that ended many years of trade disputes over duties...

Don’t Judge a Tree by Its Size

Innovative tool sheds new light on tree age, growth rate A new tool developed by the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) provides a more accurate look at how trees grow, and may have significant implications in forest management and climate-change studies. Developed by FPL engineer Tim Scott and colleagues David Vahey and JunYong...

Encouraging Ontario Residents to Choose Local Wood Products

A new provincial program in Canada known simply as Ontario Wood aims to boost the province’s forest industry and help strengthen its economy. Ontario Wood is an educational and consumer promotion initiative of the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry. The program encourages Ontarians to buy local when choosing wood products...

Guest Columns

U.S. Woody Biomass Prices Have Dropped The Past Three Years

By: Hakan Ekstrom

Prices for woody biomass in the US, whether sawmill byproducts, forest residues or urban wood waste, have been sliding...

As We See It...The Southern Loggers Cooperative

By: Bill Jones

Article by Bill Jones – Assistant Director, Southern Loggers Cooperative. While attending the American Loggers...

Chinese Hardwood Exports Have Issues

By: Mike Crouse

During the past several months, hardwood exports to China have dropped, and while the quietly expressed issue seemed to...

FMCSA Publishes Revised Final Hours-Of-Service Rule

By: Neil Ward

On December 22, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released its revised Final Hours-Of-Service rule...

Washington Doesn't Need To Regulate Rain

By: Jim Petersen

The U.S. Supreme Court has a chance to stop judicial folly —Special to The Washington Times, 5:36 p.m., Tuesday,...

Industry News

New Forest Planning Rule Seeks to Restore the Nation’s Forests through Science and Collaboration

Secretary Vilsack Announces Release of Final Environmental Impact Statement by US Forest Service Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today signaled the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s intent to...

Forest Service Grants $52 Million to Protect Working Forests, Rural Economies

The U.S. Forest Service announced today that it is granting $52.2 million for 17 conservation and working lands projects across the U.S. in 2012. The Forest Legacy Program has protected 2.2 million...

Forest Industry Welcomes Renewed Softwood Lumber Agreement

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is pleased that the Minister of International Trade, Ed Fast, has today announced a two-year extension of the Softwood Lumber Agreement along with the...

Kentucky Acquires Acreage for Public Use in Union County

The Kentucky Division of Forestry and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources have jointly acquired nearly 2,500 acres in Union County at the confluence of the Ohio and Tradewater...

Guidebook Provides Framework for Managing U.S. Forests In Face of Climate Change

Resource managers at the nation’s 155 national forests now have a set of science-based guidelines to help them manage their landscapes for resilience to climate change. Developed by the Forest...

Coalition Reveals First Ever Strategic Plan for Western Forests

The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) gathered last week to discuss priority issues and strategies for western forests. A key component driving the WFLC’s 2012 focus was the release...